The present invention relates to a smoke detection and laser escape indication system utilizing a control master with a plurality of base and satellite stations. More particularly, the invention relates to a smoke detection and laser escape indication system having a plurality of base and satellite stations that intercommunicate with one another via radio frequency.
Smoke alarms and detectors in general are well known in the prior art. Two examples of modern smoke alarms are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,244 to Bellavia et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,960 to Meili. Typically, smoke detectors simply activate an audible alarm to alert people nearby that there is a fire.
Improved smoke detectors not only sound an alarm when smoke is detected, but also activate powerful lights or flashing strobes to help direct people to an exit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,376 to Frank, for example, discloses the use of powerful flashing Xenon lamps to pierce smoke and direct people to the exit. Other examples of this technology are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,023 to Elkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,155 to Skarman et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,115 to Cota. While these devices can be useful in some circumstances, the flashing incandescent lights can tend to daze or confuse people rather than provide direction. This is especially so in a smoky room where it may not be apparent where the flashes of light are originating. Furthermore, intense flashing lights destroy night vision, often causing more harm than good to confused people trying to escape from a dark building. Additionally, Cota further discloses the use of a redundant circuit activated by a central audio alarm that triggers the smoke alarm and flashing circuits. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,183 to Sweeney also discloses a device that sweeps a laser beam across a plurality of mirrors. Each mirror directs the laser beam into the floor at a different location, thereby “walking” that apparent laser beam toward an exit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,301 to Watanabe further discloses a centrally controlled network that generates a laser which is guided and oscillated by a controlling mirror.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,251 to Kelly discloses a combination smoke detection device and laser escape indicator. The combination indicator includes a means for detecting smoke and a laser for directing to or identifying an exit within a room or building. Multiple detection devices may be networked within a building without installing a centrally managed fire alarm system. The second (or multiple) smoke detection device includes a second laser that generates a second laser beam to trigger a laser sensor mounted on any one of a plurality of smoke detection devices. This system requires a line-of-sight between the second laser beam and the laser sensor. When properly mounted to the ceiling, the network of smoke detection devices in Kelly is unable to communicate with other devices outside a room unless the laser beam was able to penetrate walls, bend around corners or penetrate floors or ceilings. In this regard, any obstruction in the way of the laser beam (e.g. resulting from a fire hazard) would prevent the laser sensor from activating a second smoke detection device. This is particularly disadvantageous as the identification of a hazard in one part of a building could not be communicated to a person in another part of the building (e.g. a separate floor).
There exists, therefore, a significant need for a smoke detection and laser escape indication system utilizing a plurality of base and satellite stations capable of intercommunicating with one another via radio frequency. Such an improved smoke detection and laser escape indication system should include at least a base unit and a satellite unit each having a means for detecting a fire hazard and a means for communicating the fire hazard to other detector units within the monitored area, a control master unit remote to the base and satellite units yet capable of communicating with all base and satellite units within the monitored area, should be capable of remotely notifying people of a fire hazard and should be capable of activating all base and satellite units within the monitored area in the event that one or more of the base or satellite units are destroyed. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.